Overflow assembly for bathtubs

ABSTRACT

An overflow assembly for a bathtub includes an overflow drain pipe which has a head, and the head has a flange extending radially therefrom which contacts the inside of the wall of the bathtub. A sleeve extends from the end face of the head and extends through an install hole of the wall of the bathtub. The head has an opening which communicates with the overflow drain pipe. An adapter is connected to the sleeve and secured to the head by bolts. A ring is engaged with the stepped outer surface of the adapter. A cap is mounted to the adapter, and the ring snugly contacts the inner surface of the cap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Fields of the Invention

The present invention relates to an overflow assembly, and more particularly, to an overflow assembly for a bathtub wherein no threading connection is required when connecting the cap to the head of the overflow drain pipe.

2. Descriptions of Related Art

The conventional overflow assembly for a bathtub is used to prevent water in the bathtub from overflowing the bathtub and can be drained through the overflow assembly.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,406 discloses an overflow assembly for a bathtub, and comprises an overflow port which has a flange and a sleeve that extends outwardly from the flange for receiving the inner end of a hollow fitting having an outer end and threads on an outer surface. A thin diaphragm seals the outer end of the fitting. A nut has a threaded center opening threadably mounted on the fitting to exert pressure towards the flange. The nut has an outer periphery with a series of radially extending lugs which frictionally detachably engage the inner surface of a flange on a cap which fits over the nut.

It is noted that the nut is threadedly connected to the threads on the outer surface of the hollow fitting, because the nut and the hollow fitting are both made by metallic material, so that when the nut is threading to the hollow fitting, the forward force may push the overflow drain pipe inward. Therefore, the contact area between the between the nut and the hollow fitting is reduced, this may cause unstable connection. Besides, the assemblers have to pay attention to avoid the overflow drain pipe inward from moving inward, this may reduce the efficiency of assembling.

The present invention intends to provide an overflow assembly which eliminates the shortcomings mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an overflow assembly for a bathtub and includes an overflow drain pipe which has a head, and the head has a flange extending radially therefrom which contacts the inside of the wall of the bathtub. A sleeve extends from the end face of the head and extends through an install hole of the wall of the bathtub. The head has an opening which communicates with the overflow drain pipe. An adapter is connected to the sleeve and secured to the head by bolts. A ring is engaged with the stepped outer surface of the adapter. A cap is mounted to the adapter, and the ring snugly contacts the inner surface of the cap.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an overflow assembly for a bathtub, wherein the adapter is connected to the head of the overflow drain pipe by bolts, so that when assembling the adapter and the cap to the head, the overflow drain pipe is not pushed inward.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an overflow assembly for a bathtub, wherein the adapter is connected to a plate which can be connected to the heads of different types. The adapter can be successfully connected to the caps of different sizes.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the overflow assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the overflow assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the overflow assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view to show that the overflow assembly of the present invention is installed to a bathtub;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the overflow assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of yet another embodiment of the overflow assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the overflow assembly of the present invention shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows a further embodiment of the overflow assembly of the present invention, and

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the overflow assembly of the present invention shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the overflow assembly of the present invention shows a embodiment of the overflow assembly of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the overflow assembly of the present invention is to be connected to a bathtub 40 which includes an overflow drain pipe 10 in the wall behind the bathtub 40. The overflow assembly comprises an L-shaped head 15 which is connected to the overflow drain pipe 10. The head 15 has a flange 153 extending radially therefrom, and the flange 153 contacts the inside of the wall of the bathtub 40. A sleeve 154 extends from the end face of the head 15 and extends through an install hole of the wall of the bathtub 40. The sleeve 154 is perpendicularly connected to the flange 153. An opening 152 is defined in the head 15 and communicates with the overflow drain pipe 10. The sleeve 154 encloses the opening 152 of the head 15.

An adapter 20 is a circular part with a stepped outer surface, and the adapter 20 is securely mounted to the sleeve 154. The inner surface of the adapter 20 is matched with the outer surface of the sleeve 154. The sleeve 154 includes two tubular portions extending from the inner periphery thereof and each tubular portion has a threaded hole 151. The adapter 20 has two lugs extending inward from the inner periphery thereof, and each lug has a hole 23. Bolts 24 extend through the two holes 23 and are threadedly connected to the threaded holes 151. By this way, the adapter is secured to the head 15 and the end face of the adapter 20 contacts against the wall of the bathtub 40 as shown in FIG. 3. The adapter 20 has a groove 21 defined in the stepped outer surface thereof, and a ring 22 is engaged with the groove 21. The ring 22 is a resilient ring so as to provide friction to secure the cap 30 to the adapter 20.

A cap 30 is mounted to the adapter 20, and the ring 22 snugly contacts the inner surface 31 of the cap 30. It is noted that there is no threads involved in the connection between the cap 30 and the adapter 20. Because the adapter 20 is connected to the head 15 by the bolts 24, so that the head 15 and the overflow drain pipe 10 are not pushed inward when mounting the cap 30 to the adapter 20.

The cap 30 has an oval-shaped aperture defined through a wall thereof, so that when the water level is over the overflow assembly of the present invention, the exceed water in the bathtub 40 flows through the head 15 and the overflow drain pipe 10.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment, wherein the head 16 is a dual-hole head and the opening 161 of the head 16 has two threaded holes 162 formed in the inner periphery of the opening 161. The adapter 201 has a plate 25 connected to the inner periphery of the adapter 201. The plate 25 is made of hard material and has a central hole 26 and two slots 231, wherein the central hole 26 is located between the two slots 231. Bolts 24 extend through the two slots 231 and are connected to the threaded holes 162. The adapter 201 has the ring 22 engaged with the groove 21 thereof so as to position the cap 30, wherein the cap 30 has two apertures.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show yet another embodiment, wherein the head 17 is a single-hole head and includes a tube located therein, and the tube has a threaded hole 172. The adapter 201 is the same as that disclosed in FIG. 5. That is to say, the adapter 201 has a plate 25 connected to the inner periphery of the adapter 201. The plate 25 is made of hard material and has a central hole 26 and two slots 231, wherein the central hole 26 is located between the two slots 231. A bolt 24 extends through the central hole 26 of the plate 25 and is connected to the threaded hole 172 to connect the adapter 201 to the head 17.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a further embodiment, wherein the head 15 is a multiple-hole head and includes a tube located therein, and the tube has a threaded hole.

The sleeve 154 includes two tubular portions extending from the inner periphery thereof and each tubular portion has a threaded hole 151. The adapter 50 has two lugs extending inward from the inner periphery thereof, and each lug has a hole 53. The adapter 50 is a circular part with an outer surface 51. An engaging section 52 is formed at the outer surface 51 of the adapter 50 and the engaging section 52 has a tapered outer surface. The inner surface of the adapter 50 is matched with the outer surface of the sleeve 154. Bolts 24 extend through the two holes 53 and are threadedly connected to the threaded holes 151. By this way, the adapter 50 is secured to the head 15 and the end face of the adapter 50 contacts against the wall of the bathtub 40 as shown in FIG. 9. The cap 30 is mounted to the outer surface 51 of the adapter 50, and the inner surface of the cap 30 is a tapered surface which is engaged with the tapered outer surface of the engaging section 52 so that the cap 30 is secured to the adapter 50.

FIG. 10 show another embodiment, wherein the head 15 is a multiple-hole head and includes a tube located therein, and the tube has a threaded hole, the sleeve 154 includes two tubular portions extending from the inner periphery thereof and each tubular portion has a threaded hole 151. The adapter 50 has a plate 25 connected to the inner periphery of the adapter 50. The adapter 50 is a circular part with an outer surface 51. An engaging section 52 is formed at the outer surface 51 of the adapter 50 and the engaging section 52 has a tapered outer surface. The inner surface of the adapter 50 is matched with the outer surface of the sleeve 154. Bolts 24 through the plate 25, and threadedly connected to the threaded holes 151. By this way, the adapter 50 is secured to the head 15 and the end face of the adapter 50 contacts against the wall of the bathtub 40. The cap 30 is mounted to the outer surface 51 of the adapter 50, and the inner surface of the cap 30 is a tapered surface which is engaged with the tapered outer surface of the engaging section 52 so that the cap 30 is secured to the adapter 50.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An overflow assembly connected to a bathtub which includes an overflow drain pipe, the overflow assembly comprising: a head adapted to be connected to the overflow drain pipe, the head having a flange extending radially therefrom and a sleeve extending from an end face of the head, an opening defined in the head and adapted to communicate with the overflow drain pipe; an adapter being a circular part with a stepped outer surface, an inner surface of the adapter being matched with an outer surface of the sleeve, a ring engaged with the stepped outer surface of the adapter, the adapter connected to the head by bolts, and a cap mounted to the adapter, the ring snugly contacting an inner surface of the cap.
 2. The overflow assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter has a groove defined in the stepped outer surface thereof, the ring is engaged with the groove.
 3. The overflow assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter has two lugs extending inward from an inner periphery thereof, each lug has a hole, the bolts extend through the holes and connected to the head.
 4. The overflow assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plate is connected to an inner periphery of the adapter, the plate has a central hole and two slots between which the central hole is located so as to be adapted to be connected to the head of different sizes.
 5. The overflow assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring is a resilient ring.
 6. An overflow assembly connected to a bathtub which includes an overflow drain pipe, the overflow assembly comprising: a head adapted to be connected to the overflow drain pipe, the head having a flange extending radially therefrom and a sleeve extending from an end face of the head, an opening defined in the head and adapted to communicate with the overflow drain pipe; an adapter being a circular part with an outer surface, an engaging section formed at the outer surface of the adapter, the engaging section having a tapered outer surface, an inner surface of the adapter being matched with an outer surface of the sleeve, the adapter connected to the head by bolts, and a cap mounted to the outer surface of the adapter, the cap having a tapered inner surface which is matched with the tapered outer surface of the engaging section of the adapter.
 7. The overflow assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the adapter has two lugs extending inward from an inner periphery thereof, each lug has a hole, the bolts extend through the holes and connected to the head. 